Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. This article has been selected from the ZENIT Daily Dispatch Innovative Media, Inc. ZENIT International News Agency Via della Stazione di Ottavia, 95 00165 Rome, Italywww.zenit.org, To subscribe http://www.zenit.org/english/subscribe.html or email: english-request@zenit.org with SUBSCRIBE in the "subject" field, Provided Courtesy of: Eternal Word Television Network 5817 Old Leeds Road Irondale, AL 35210www.ewtn.com, HOME - EWTNews - FAITH - TELEVISION - RADIO - LIBRARY - MULTIMEDIAWHAT'S NEW - GENERAL - RELIGIOUS CATALOGUE - PILGRIMAGES - ESPAOL, EWTN | 5817 Old Leeds Rd. Thanks for this, Dennis. Pray Tell here documents two statements of the Congregation for Divine Worship issued under Pope Paul VI. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ's prayer for us "that they may all be one" (Jn 17:21). Never receive Holy Communion by extending only one hand. I dont mean how did it come about. With your hand hollowed, receive the Body of Christ and answer Amen. [19] This list is by no means exhaustive, and it would be tedious to cite all of these references as a catalog, but let us turn to a few of them to see what the Fathers have to say about the meaning of this practice. Was changing the mode reception of Communion one of them? It is reported that a bishop shouted out, On the tongue or in the hand?. This is the quote that is always used: " make your left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. Please remember that there is no "right" way to receive. 6. But one should not by his own judgment abstain from or return to communion, as he pleases. [3] Augustine, Answer to Petilian 2.23.53and Against Parmenian 2.7.13. I would like to remind people to indicate clearly how they wish to receive. The oldest reference to the Eucharist in the New Testament occurs in chapters 11 and 12 of the First Letter to the Corinthians, which has no reference to receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. We are the Body of Christ, moving forward to receive the Christ who makes us one with himself and with one another. This would be done especially if it is very difficult or impossible to fulfill the necessary conditions as outlined in the documents above. To increase sanctifying grace and all virtues in our soul. St. Cyril of Jerusalem in 348 gave this instruction to his congregation:When you approach Holy Communion, make the left hand into a throne for the right, which will receive the King. 896. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? St. Cyril of Jerusalem in 348 gave this instruction to his congregation: "When you approach Holy Communion, make the left hand into a throne for the right, which will receive the King. Receiving Communion The Sacrament of Holy Communion (also known as The Lord's Supper or Eucharist) has been precious and life-giving to Christians for 2,000 years. Or is there more context that is missing? Our worship ought to create common unity under Christ, not destroy it. The condition is the complete avoidance of any cause for the faithful to be shocked and any danger of irreverence toward the Eucharist. are on the side of Lucifer. Christ himself at the Last Supper pleaded with his Father: "Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us" (John 17:11, 21).Baptism has joined us to Christ and to one another as the vine and its branches. Here in India Communion is distributed both on tongue and in hand. My overarching point in all this (as someone who receives comfortably in both manners) is that I dont think common concerns with reception in the hand have been treated with adequate seriousness by many its defenders. On the part of both the minister and the recipient, whenever the host is placed in the hand of a communicant there must be careful concern and caution, especially about particles that might fall from the hosts. cites vote tallies to defend a claim that a large majority (longe plurimos) of bishops not only oppose introducing Communion in the hand but consider it tum sensui tum spirituali cultui [] offensioni Middle Africa, 3 February 1970 The author seems to think that liturgical reforms should consist of only what an ecumenical council prescribed. In approaching therefore, come not with your wrists extended, or your fingers spread; but make your left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life For tell me, if any one gave you grains of gold, would you not hold them with all carefulness, being on your guard against losing any of them, and suffering loss? 3. The Council of Saragossa (380): Excommunicated anyone who dared continue . From a hygienic point of view, the hand carries a huge amount of bacteria. Pope Paul Vl calls attention to the purpose of the InstructionMemoriale Dominiof 29 May 1969, on retaining the traditional practice in use. The two ways of receiving communion can without question take place during the same liturgical service. In each of the Eucharistic Prayers, though the petition is worded in slightly different ways, God is asked to send his Holy Spirit to make us one body, one spirit in Christ; the General Instruction admonishes the faithful that "they are to form one body, whether in hearing the Word of God, or in taking part in the prayers and in the singing" (no. Indonesia, 27 March 1971 can. SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS, InstructionImmensae caritatis, on facilitating reception of Communion in certain circumstances, 29 January 1973: AAS 65 (1973) 264-271; Not 9 (1973) 157-164. Consider that you not only receive this gift in your hand, but that you also bring it up to your mouth, and keep your tongue clean of all disgraceful and outrageous words, blasphemy, perjury and all other sins of this sort. Personally, I think that when a priest with the care of souls holds the view that Communion on the tongue is preferable to the alternative practice, then the best thing he can do is inform the faithful of the bishops permission. My sense is that if theres something demonic in all this it is the Galatians moment in which many Catholics find themselves, especially those on the traditional side. Our souls ought to be purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. Our bishops have argued that Communion in the hand is the proper way for the faithful to respond to our Lord's invitation: "All of you, take and eat this." What the bishops overlook is the fact . 2. 160). It is bad if it makes us prideful/judgmental and distracts from more important things. For it is a deed fraught with destruction to take the tongue which serve such awesome mysteries, which has become purpled with a blood so precious, which has become a sword of gold and to change its course to abuse, insolence and ribald jests. The option offered to the faithful of receiving the Eucharistic bread in their hand and putting it into their own mouth must not turn out to be the occasion for regarding it as ordinary bread or as just another religious article. A quick example will be found . When the communion is distributed under both kinds, it is never permitted to place in the hands of the communicants hosts which have first been placed in the Blood of the Lord. There is a twofold purpose here: that none will find in the new rite anything disturbing to personal devotion toward the Eucharist; that this sacrament, the source and cause of unity by its very nature, will not become an occasion of discord between members of the faithful. Hard to believe that Catechesis has never been better if that fundamental is misunderstood. As to the way to carry out the new rite: one possible model is the traditional usage, which expresses the ministerial functions, by having the priest or deacon place the host in the hand of the communicant . 895. Basil the Great, 330-379 stated, "The right to receive Holy Communion in the hand is permitted only in times of persecution." This statement may very well have been made in response to St. Cyril of Jerusalem in 348. The faithful must be taught that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and that therefore the worship of latria or adoration belonging to God is owed to Christ present in this sacrament. 95% of parishes shrinking, seminaries empty, young people disengaged: it will happen in Africa and Asia too when the culture of the secular West overwhelms the Third World. When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. Pope Benedict was asked why he chose to distribute Communion only to those kneeling and on the tongue and he responded, because it highlights "the truth of the real presence [of Christ] in the Eucharist, helps the devotion . In this he shows a great fear, and since the hand that is stretched out holds a higher rank, it is the one that is extended for receiving the body of the King, and the other hand bears and brings its sister hand, while not thinking that it is playing the role of a servant, as it is equal with it in honour, on account of the bread of the King, which is also borne by it. The history of the liturgy, however, makes clear that rather early on a . [25] Origen of Alexandria, homily in Ex. Councils establish principles (and rarely go into specific points) and then leave it to a commission to carry out the detailed work after the Council. 284-287 is to be followed.. The usage of communion in the hand must be accompanied by relevant instruction or catechesis on Catholic teaching regarding Christs real and permanent presence under the eucharistic elements and the proper reverence toward this sacrament. The author claims that Communion in the hand could only be authorized in countries where it was an established practice but doesnt give a citation. Bolivia, October 15 1969 These guidelines replace the guidelines approved by the Administrative Committee of the NCCB in November 1986. The traditional and preferred method is the reception of the Host on the tongue: Step forward and kneel at the Communion rail or station (if you stand, make a sign of reverencesuch as a bow or genuflection or Sign of the Crossbefore receiving the Host and take care not to disrupt the Communion line). In the light of the above, we can come to the heart of the matter as to whether a priest may invoke the question of conscience in order to refuse to distribute Communion in the hand. And why so? The Holy See has made it abundantly clear that both manners of reception of Communion - on the tongue and in the hand - are permitted, that Communion should be received reverently, and that the manner of reception should not become an occasion of division in the church. Bishops allowing introduction of the new way of receiving communion are requested to send to this Congregation after six months a report on the result of its concession.. The cultural backing. What if our reception made us all more loving of one another, whatever our views on how to receive? Have reverence for the honor which God has bestowed upon it, and do not lead it down to the vileness of sin.[27]. I think that settles it. Pope Paul Vl approved this Instruction, confirmed it with his authority, and ordered its publication, setting the day of publication as its effective date. Q. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service. In this way, the practice of Communion in the hand is different from other liturgical elements restored after centuries of disuse, such as the prayer of the faithful and the exchange of peace. The fire of mercy has become for us a living sacrifice
It is not clear as to how widespread it was or if it was a regular practice. While we have the option of receiving holy Communion either on the tongue or on the hand, we must always be mindful of receiving our Lord respectfully. They probably never foresaw its subsequent, and occasionally chaotic, development in some parts of the Church. Even if we presume the authenticity of the text we still do not know how long the practice lasted, whether leavened or unleavened bread was used and whether the practice was exclusive to the Church of Jerusalem. So Indian Bishop conference have not got any Indult for communion in hand? I am a daily witness at the Basilique du Sacr-Cur de Montmartre (Paris).. 91). The list obviously is not complete, for this article says that Germany and France both received permission from the Holy See on the same day in 1969: If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. Phillip Schaff (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889). [23], The great and divine Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of God, the body and temple of Christ. [T]hose who restrict communicants to receive Holy Communion only in the hands are acting against the norms, as are those who refuse to Christ's faithful [the right] to receive Communion in the hand in dioceses that enjoy this indult. The way you put it, it doesnt sound obsessive-compulsive but salutary. 6. Above all, it is necessary to have the introduction of the rite preceded by an effective catechesis so that the people will clearly understand the meaning of receiving in the hand and will practice it with the reverence owed to the sacrament. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. vehementer hortatur retention of current practice while invoking the common good of the Church. I mean WHAT SPECIFIC REASONS were given for requesting it in the first place? Many pathogens are transmitted through the hands. Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the, The Abandoned: Toward a Christocentric Phenomenology of Prayer, The Conclusion of Karl Rahner's Dissertation on the Origin of the Church from the Side Wound of the Crucified Christ. Devotion and reverence toward the Eucharist in the case of communion in the hand. Interestingly, during the Middle Ages, the reception of Holy Communion was restricted to "on the tongue" because of abuses. Per The Baltimore Catechism: I honestly get sick of it too. After stipulating the historical practice of Communion in the hand, Memoriale Domini: defends the development of discipline that led to Communion on the tongue If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. The Council was a start, but we have allowed ourselves to get sidetracked in silly and divisive banter. The US might have been little-touched by the scorched earth of world war, and perhaps our feel-good stance astride the planet delayed the decay somewhat. The faithful must be taught that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and that therefore the worship of latria or adoration belonging to God is owed to Christ present in this sacrament. As for decades of poor or heterodox catechesis on the Sacraments, it seems more likely that catechesis has never been better, more Scripture-based, and more soundly theological. Germany, 6 June 1969 To unite us to Himself and to nourish our soul with His Nor did the Vatican interpret it that way, near as I can tell. [22] Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Faith 10, trans. The guidelines, which are to be included in missalettes and other participation aids published in the United States, seek to remind all those who may attend Catholic liturgies of the present discipline of the Church with regard to the sharing of Eucharistic Communion. Q. The missal of 1570 eliminated almost all sequences and moved the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar to the beginning of the Order of Mass though the Council of Trent never said a word about either. Excelling, therefore, every sensible creature, he who by the saving Passion has attained to the celestial dignity, eating and drinking Christ, is fitted in all respects for eternal life, sanctifying his soul and body by the participation of divine grace. Holt Orders cannot sustain the Church, no matter how much traditionalists preach priests are of the utmost importance. 4. The problem is a lack of intentionality across the board, starting with the laity. North Africa,October 15 1969 I happen to accept the role of darkness within the Church, but it strikes me as being perpetrated all too often by those who style themselves the most faithful or loyal to God. Those who receive Communion may receive either in the hand or on the tongue, and the decision should be that of the individual receiving, not of the person distributing Communion. The Church in Europe struggled mightilyand some might say in futilityagainst centuries of violence, sect on sect, nation vs nation. Confess it and move on. divine life. The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? The General Instruction asks each country's Conference of Bishops to determine the posture to be used for the reception of Communion and the act of reverence to be made by each person as he or she receives Communion. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. All of us should receive with great reverence and respect. It should be noted that it is never permissible for a person to dip the host he or she has received into the chalice. All of us are only grasping a hint of it. This is a fundamental misunderstanding. Jamaica, 12 March 1970 Nowhere in this article did I see what the CHURCH says about Holy Communion, only the writers opinion. I dont think reception in the hand is destroying the Church like what some prominent leaders in the Church have implied, but this practice has still had wide ranging [and not entirely positive] ramifications in the Church over the last half century, far beyond the obvious choice of the individual communicant. To that which you are you respond Amen (yes, it is true!) and by responding to it you assent to it. When permitted, the choice as to the form of reception falls upon the communicant and not upon the priest. It also happens, on occasion, that the free choice of those who prefer to continue the practice of receiving the Eucharist on the tongue is not taken into account in those places where the distribution of Communion in the hand has been authorized. 5.21, trans. France, 6 June 1969 In 1980 St. John Paul II wrote in the apostolic letterDominicae Cenae: In some countries, the practice of receiving Communion in the hand has been introduced. For pastoral reasons this manner of receiving communion has been legitimately established as the most common form in the Latin rite. OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF. Above all it is necessary to have the introduction of the rite preceded by an effective catechesis, so that the people will clearly understand the meaning of receiving in the hand and will practice it with the reverence owed to the sacrament. The faithful receive Communion kneeling or standing, as established by the episcopal conference. This is precisely why there are occasions when pastoral prudence can lead to suspend the permission. The person distributing Communion says audibly to each person approaching, "The Body of Christ." Maybe this is part of a grand conspiracy by Satan to destroy the Church (ok, probably not that). The wind has left our sails and many of us are adrift on uncertain seas. There is a twofold purpose here: that none will find in the new rite anything disturbing to personal devotion toward the Eucharist; that this sacrament, the source, and cause of unity by its very nature, will not become an occasion of discord between members of the faithful. But "the sign of communion is more complete when given under both kinds, since in that form the sign of the Eucharistic meal appears more clearly." This is the usual form of receiving communion in the Eastern rites. Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion. [11] Council of Constantinople in Trullo, canon 101. The sad fact that in recent years hosts consecrated by a Pope have been offered for sale on the Internet further motivates this precautionary measure. The faithful should consume the host before returning to their place; the ministers part will be brought out by use of the usual formulary, The body of Christ, to which the communicant replies: Amen. St. So when received unworthily, it is not only useless, but it is harmful to oneself (a lifestyle of sin continues), our neighbors (increase of violence, arson, looting, murders), and society in general (take a look at the condition of our country), and is extremely offensive to God (hence the wide-spread suffering).
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